News headlines in March 2022, page 8

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded civilian protection and humanitarian access in Ukraine on Thursday, while also criticizing Russia for creating a “dire” humanitarian situation resulting from its invasion exactly one month ago.

The committee tasked with drafting a new Syrian constitution - and thereby setting the country on a fresh trajectory to peace and stability - resumed its difficult and halting deliberations this week, against the backdrop of fresh urgency as the conflict marked its eleventh anniversary this month.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been the “main contributing factor” to the potentially devastating one per cent drop in projected global economic growth this year, UN development economists UNCTAD said on Thursday, in the body’s latest global economic update.

MADRID, Mar 24 (IPS) - Following 20 long years (2011-2021) of brutal war on Afghanistan by the US-led military coalition, which ended up in delivering the country to the Taliban in August 2021, 23 million Afghans now face severe and acute hunger, economic bankruptcy, healthcare system collapse, unbearable family indebtedness, and devastating humanitarian crisis.

A month since Russia invaded Ukraine, 4.3 million children – more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population – have been displaced, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.

CAIRO, Mar 24 (IPS) - When Suhier Abed’s husband broke both legs after falling two floors while working in construction, the 32-year-old mother of five needed to support her family.

What independent UN human rights experts are describing as an ongoing smear campaign against a prominent Northern Irish academic and human rights lawyer, “has the potential to spark physical violence” they said on Thursday, amidst increasing polarization once more between nationalists and unionists, following the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote, and the resulting Northern Ireland protocol.

DAKAR, Senegal, Mar 24 (IPS) - At the World Water Forum this week (March 21-26), the international community will raise awareness of the 2 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean water and sanitation. Among them are millions of women and girls, who walk hundreds of miles each year to find water for their families and are blocked from education and economic empowerment also due to poor sanitation services.

PRETORIA, Mar 23 (IPS) - A court in South Africa has confirmed the constitutional right of the country’s citizens to an environment that isn’t harmful to their health. This includes the right to clean air, as exposure to air pollution affects human health. Air pollution also affects land and water systems, and decreases agricultural yields.

The war in Ukraine is not only a “horror unfolding before our eyes”, but also an “assault on some of the most vulnerable people and countries” across the world, said the UN chief on Wednesday, convening the first meeting of the steering committee which will guide the creation of a new UN crisis response group to help mitigate the worldwide impact of Russia’s invasion.